A Golden Gloves amateur boxing title holder convicted of assault after breaking a 22-year-old man's jaw at a local nightclub, says he acted in self-defence
Lee Garnham, 24, pictured, who pleaded guilty to an assault charge in Tauranga District Court on Wednesday, told the Bay of Plenty Times he had not instigated the violence and was protecting himself after two men came towards him in "an aggressive manner" at Bahama Hut nightclub on November 29 last year.
"I got hit first, and I was punched in the mouth and got a badly split fat lip ... Unfortunately, the result [of his returning the blow] was double the impact because they were travelling towards me."
In June last year Garnham won gold at the North Island Golden Gloves contest in Taupo, winning the light heavyweight boxing title. He also had 28 amateur bouts in England.
About 12.30am on November 29 Garnham and his friends were drinking at the Harington St nightclub when an associate went over to speak to the victim about an earlier incident.